


Lover's Quarrel

by amaryllis (Lilly0)



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Boss/Employee Relationship, Bottom Nick Burkhardt, Caring Sean Renard, Domestic Fluff, Drunk Nick Burkhardt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Feelings, Feels, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Nick Burkhardt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-19 03:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18130277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilly0/pseuds/amaryllis
Summary: Worried for his lover's mental and emotional well-being, Sean wants Nick to take some time off and rest. Nick is not happy to oblige.(set after season 4 finale (obviously includes spoilers :-))





	Lover's Quarrel

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I love Grimm and the characters ♥ I know Sean/Nick is not the most popular pairing out there, but I can't help it :-) This is my first ever Grimm fanfic. I hope you will like it!

 

 

Sean approaches the door of his apartment, feeling unusually nervous. The feeling doesn’t wear off even after he has closed the door behind him. He takes off his shoes and jacket and follows the slight noise coming from the kitchen. His glance falls on Nick immediately. He has been waiting for him… probably. Arms crossed in front of his body.

 

“How are you doing?” Sean asks while he leans back against the counter.

 

“How I am doing?” Nick spats out. “What do you think how I’m doing after you sent me home from work!?”

 

Sean sighs. He pretty much anticipated this reaction. It’s going to be worse though, he knows, when he hands Nick an envelop. It’s the note that he should take one week off work. Direct order. It’s not like Sean feels particularly good for deciding this behind Nick’s back, but at the same time it’s not quite easy to reason with him at the moment.

 

Nick looks at the paper for a few seconds, eyes getting darker with anger. “You...” he breaths out.

 

“Nickolas,” Sean tries to go for his usual calm, reasonable tone. It works miracles normally, on almost everyone. Judging by the vicious look Nick throws him though, _normal_ does not apply for today. “I have decided you need to stay at home and-”

 

He sees Nick’s hand coming, would have had enough time to either doge it or duck away, but he doesn’t. He let’s Nick get it out of his system and slap him, only wincing slightly at the impact. He catches Nick’s wrist before he can hit him a second time. “How could you decide this without me!?” Nick blurts out. “You are preventing me from doing my work! This is all I have left and you take it from me!?”

 

“I’m preventing you from going on a path of revenge,” Sean argues. “And risking your job while doing so.”

 

“This coming from you out of all has to be joke!” Nick tugs his hand free from Sean’s grasp. “You are basically kicking me out from my job! What do you expect? Should I thank you now!?”

 

Sean is surprised. Not much. But still…a bit He did expect Nick to be mad at him, he even kind of anticipated the possibility that he might go against him physically, but he just didn’t think he would be so… dramatic. “It’s not even a suspension, Nick, but just one week of vacation out of health reasons!”

 

“Just plain words, nothing more. The meaning behind it is clear!” Nick frowns. “You are too good at twisting words anyways, and at plotting things behind people’s backs!”

 

Sean counts down from ten. He only reaches four. “Yes, excuse me for thinking you would need a break right after your ex-girlfriend got killed, killed your mother, your protégé was abducted and your – whatever – Adalind gave birth to your child. How stupid of me for wanting to keep my boyfriend safe.”

 

“You had no right to decide that above my head!” Nick snaps

 

“No?” Sean raises his eyebrows. “I’m your boss, remember?”

 

“Oh, how could I forget?” Nick hisses and shoves Sean aside to leave the room. “Thank you, _Sir_.”

 

Sean fights every fiber of his body to actually resist the provocation, and instead let’s Nick stomp off. He sighs slightly, deciding not to follow him immediately, before he says something he will regret later. And before Nick can say more that he will regret later on.

 

 

 

~~~

 

 

Sean showers first, tries to wash the stress and the anger away. He is not used to people arguing with him. And even if they do, argue, he is normally able to keep the control of the situation.

 

Nick is not one to control easily though. And Sean kind of likes that about him. He challenges Sean, which is not always easy, and sometimes it does annoy Sean. It also forces him out of his comfort zone sometimes. The thing about Nick is though that he is loyal. He is not one to go for Sean’s money and status and power. Frankly, Nick probably gives a shit about all this stuff. He couldn’t care less. Knowing that means a lot to Sean.

 

Nick is with him for Sean being Sean, and nothing else. And Sean tries his hardest to prove that he is with Nick because he truly likes and cares about him. Not because he is a Grimm. They are way past that stage of using each other anyways.

 

Half an hour later when Sean decides he has given them both enough time to cool down, he realizes his normally so level-headed boyfriend has gone out.

 

Great. Just great.

 

This has catastrophe written all over it.

 

The good thing about Nick is that thanks to his honesty he is kind of predictable to Sean. Nick has a few favorite bars. He is not going to be in a random other bar just because he had a fight with Sean.

 

 

 

It takes him not more than an hour to have tracked Nick down. He hasn’t gone far, and as Sean predicted he is in one of his usual places. Sean chuckles slightly. Every relationship needs stability. Apparently that’s theirs.

 

His expression goes form amused to irritated in an instant though once he steps into the bar. The light is dimmed slightly. Nick is sitting in front of a beer and a few empty glasses – Sean has no idea how many he has had. That’s not the problem. The problem is a bulky guy with a cheap hair style and an even cheaper fake Armani suit standing next to Nick.

 

Sean frowns, lips pressed to a thin line.

 

“You are kinda cute,” the man bends forward towards Nick. He has a beard, because nowadays every random hipster thinks he looks good with one. And he is close. Too close. Way too close. Sean steps in between.

 

“Leave him alone,” he says calmly, his voice is strained and angry without yelling. There must have been something in his presence and in his eyes, because the guy shoots him a glance, wary, before he raises his hands and steps back.

 

“Didn’t know,” the creepy Armani-replica guy stutters. “That he is with someone.” Then he hurries away.

 

Nick tilts his head into his direction. His eyes are glassy. “Jo...john...Sean,” he slurs. “What are you doing here?”

 

“How many drinks did you have?” Sean insists to know.

 

“Dunno.”

 

“Nick,” Sean puts a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “You have clearly had enough. We should leave.”

 

“No,” Nick looks at Sean stubbornly. Or at least he tries to, his gaze isn’t quite as focused as it normally is. “Don’ tel’me waddodo.”

 

“Okay, that’s it,” Sean furrows his eyebrows. “You are going home.”

 

“But-”

 

“Now!” he bites out sharply. It’s not his style normally to let his guard down like that and yell, but he is at a loss here.

 

It has the wanted effect though because Nick winces slightly, but allows Sean to drag him out of the bar and back home. Honestly, in his entire life up to now Sean has never tried to lead a drunk person home… while keeping them safe. The fifteen minutes walk towards his apartment turns into a 45 minute odyssey in which he has to prevent Nick from running against a street sign twice, catch him when he stumbled and almost fell, lure him away from a punk who wanted to start a fight, and try to stop him from cuddling against him and squeeze him while in the elevator.

 

Sean feels exhausted. Worse than any workout, really.

 

The first thing he does once they are back in the apartment is force Nick to sit down and drink some water. He heads to the shower to open the water and let it warm up a bit before grabbing a towel, soaking it in cold water and pressing it against Nick’s neck.

 

He could be a bit gentler, he figures, but at the same time he knows he has been more patient tonight than ever before. He feels irritated and pretty angry.

 

Nick’s eyes get a bit clearer much to Sean’s relief, but they are clouded with something else now. “She didn’t deserve to die,” Nick says all of a sudden, and his voice cracks. “I know we were over, and all...and… but she didn’t deserve this. It’s my fault. It’s just because I was in her life.”

 

“Nick,” Sean says quietly, all his anger and irritation vanished all of a sudden. He presses the cold towel against Nick’s forehead gently. “It’s not your fault. You know it isn’t.”

 

Nick leans against Sean’s shoulder, finally allowing him to pull him in a hug. “It shouldn’t have ended like this,” he mutters, his breath hitching slightly. “She didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve it. Sean.”

 

“She didn’t deserve it,” Sean repeats quietly, though deep inside he might think differently. But he figures this isn’t about him, but about how Nick feels. When he tries to see the situation through Nick’s eyes, he can actually understand and feel the pain too. “But it’s still not your fault Nick. She made a conscious decision, actually more than one! We have to accept that too. Not everything, not ever decision can be prevented, not by me, not by you. At one point every person is responsible for the path they walk.”

 

Nick stays quiet for a long while. “I feel sick,” he finally mutters. "And tired."

 

“I thought as much, after you drank… how many beer?” Sean comments, not able to hide his sarcasm. Nick shoots him a glare but it lacks any real anger. He looks rather miserable. Sean sighs. “Come, I’ll help you clean up and change.”

 

 

~~~

 

 

The next morning Nick looks a bit better. A lot better actually. His eyes seem clearer, the look in them sharp, less clouded… And there is a hint of embarrassment in his expression. “Good morning.”

 

Sean looks at him in slight amusement. “You look like you need a coffee.”

 

“God, eyes.” Nick sighs happily when Sean offers him a cup. “That’s why I love you.”

 

“I know,” Sean’s lip tugs into a smile. “Glad you can admit that after our fight yesterday.”

 

I...” Nick looks away from Sean. “Sorry for hitting you yesterday. That was not okay. I tend to not deal well… with emotional… disappointments… setbacks, whatever you want to call them.”

 

Sean tries to hide his surprise by how openly Nick can apologize. Well, not really surprise, because this is Nick, and he can openly admit a mistake unlike Sean. He feels rather… impressed and a bit envious. He wishes he would be there too, emotionally. But different people are different, and where Nick can admit to a mistake honestly, Sean can give him security. “It’s okay, Nick. I know that. It’s okay.”

 

“And sorry for the drama.”

 

Sean snorts, “It’s just another point on my list, a new experience: Looking after a teenager.”

 

“Very funny,” Nick grumbles, but his voice lack any real bite. He steps closer towards Sean, sneaking an arm around his waist. Sean feels relief flooding him while he also wraps an arm around Nick’s shoulder, pulling him closer.

 

“I’m glad you look better, Nick. We’ll get through this, I promise. We’ll find out the truth.”

 

Nick nods. “I’m just staying on this vacation for a week. So you know.”

 

“Fine,” Sean sighs. “But I really don’t want to see you anywhere close to our office.”

 

“It feels like I’m grounded,” Nick complains half-heartedly. “Did you really have to send me on an official leave?”

 

“I want you to take this week off,” Sean urges. “Spend some time with Monroe and Rosalee, try to calm down a bit and allow yourself to grief. We don't want your child to grow up without a father, do we?”

 

“No,” Nick mumbles. “You are probably right.”

 

“Of course I am,” Sean says dryly. When Nick glares at him, he grins, raising the cup he is holding in his hand. He turns it for Nick to see. There is a picture of a little angry looking kitten on it. “Chaton*,” he says dryly before making hissing noises. “Like you.”

 

“Very funny,” Nick frowns.

 

Sean holds back a fond smile, instead he brushes with his thumb over Nick’s neck.

 

“Don’t you find it weird?”

 

“What?” Sean wants to know.

 

“That we both have a child with the same woman. But none of us is with her? And instead we are together?”

 

“No, not really,” Sean shrugs. Maybe it’s his questionable sense of morals, but he really doesn’t care at all. He loves his daughter, he loves Nick, he doesn’t love Adalind. Simple as that. When Nick keeps looking at him insistently, he sighs. “Okay, maybe a bit. But then-”

 

“Hm?”

 

Sean smiles slightly. “But then we are a weird couple too, aren’t we? So, it doesn’t matter.”

 

Nick smiles. “Yes,” he admits. “Maybe you are right.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Grimm really got me. I know I'm a bit late to the hype, but better late than never, right? :D I can't remember the last time I watched a TV show or a movie where I liked the characters and their interactions so much. And I don't know what it is, but SeanxNick are just so hot together (at least in my imagination ^^)
> 
> Everytime I branch out in a new fandom and write a fic for this fandom for the first time, I feel a bit worried and nervous ><  
> I would love to hear your thoughts on this! 
> 
> Somehow I cannot for the life of me imagine that Sean would be happy dealing with a drunk Nick. But considering this is Sean, he did quite well, didn't he? *lol* 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading ♥  
> Comments are of course loved and appreciated <3
> 
>  
> 
> *Chaton means kitten in French


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